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Overview

In a Dark House (Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James Series #10) by Deborah Crombie, Michael Deehy

Scotland Yard detectives Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James return in a chilling and suspenseful tale of murder, kidnapping, madness, and the frightening ordeal of a helpless child, the latest masterwork of crime fiction from New York Times Notable Book of the Year author Deborah Crombie ...

An abandoned warehouse burns next door to a women's shelter for victims of spousal abuse, an apparent case of arson. But it is the charred corpse within -- a female body burned beyond all recognition -- combined with the political sensitivity of the case, that entangles Superintendent Duncan Kincaid in its twisted skein.

At the same time, Kincaid's lover and former partner, Gemma James, is coping with twin crises of her own, one personal and the other professional. Gemma must put her private concerns aside to investigate the disappearance of a hospital administrator, a beautiful, emotionally fragile young woman who vanished without a trace. Yet neither Gemma nor Kincaid realizes how closely their cases are connected -- or how important the resolutions will be for a young child who was a victim of parental abduction.

In an old, dark, rambling house, nine-year-old Harriet worries about her feuding mum and dad, her friends, her schoolwork. Most of all, she worries about the strange woman who is her only companion in this scary, unfamiliar place. The events that led her there happened too quickly and are too complicated for a child to fully comprehend. But despite her youth and innocence, Harriet's awful fears will not be silenced: that she may never see her parents again ... and that her own life is in serious peril.

About the Author

Deborah Crombie is a New York Times bestselling author and a native Texan who has lived in both England and Scotland. She now lives in McKinney, Texas, sharing a house that is more than one hundred years old with her husband, three cats, and two German shepherds.

Editorial Reviews

The Barnes & Noble ReviewDeborah Crombie is building a reputation for creating powerful and dramatic mysteries. Her protagonists, Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James, have more in common than the home and love they share, they're also both Scotland Yard detectives.

In a Dark House puts Gemma and Duncan's multilayered relationship to the test, as these two gifted investigators find themselves working a brutal and complex case from differing perspectives. It starts simply…Superintendent Kincaid is called in to "help" when a member of Parliament's venture into real estate goes up in smoke. At first Duncan expects that his role will be limited to keeping the politician's involvement out of the limelight. But the discovery of the body of a nude young woman at the fire scene guarantees he'll soon be doing more than damage control.

Gemma comes to the case through unofficial channels, when her offer to help a friend whose lodger has vanished reveals unmistakable signs of a double life. When the M.P.'s wayward daughter disappears, Gemma and Duncan discover disturbing evidence linking that to another missing-persons case -- one where an angry father, desperate to remove his daughter from his ex-wife's care, entrusted his little girl to a virtual stranger, only to have both the woman and child disappear without a trace. Carefully, patiently, Duncan and Gemma tease out the connections between the brutalized corpse, the missing women, the kidnapped girl…and a series of suspicious fires that suggest a pattern of accelerating danger. Sue Stone

bn.com

A serial arsonist nutter is on the loose in London in Crombie's assured 10th book starring Scotland Yard Det. Supt. Duncan Kincaid and his lover/partner Det. Insp. Gemma James. When a nude, charred female corpse turns up in a burned warehouse, the police discover that the unidentified victim, one of four possible women, was murdered beforehand. Duncan and Gemma also look into the abduction of 10-year-old Harriet Novak, a pawn in her parents' ongoing acrimonious divorce. As the investigation by both fire officials and police evolves, it becomes clear that the abduction is connected to the murder. Young, eager firefighter Rose Kearny, who found the body in the burning building, works the case on her own and comes up with a theory that may explain the arsonist's unusual motive. Fanny Liu, confined to a wheelchair, fears the worst when her roommate goes missing, and a nearby home for battered women apparently connects several aspects of the case. It's a web of gossamer-thin clues that police, under the patient Superintendent Kincaid, work to untangle as they race against time to find the imperiled Harriet. Myriad subplots that have accrued from past entries slow the action in places, but Duncan and Gemma are such interesting and attractive characters that few readers will mind. Agent, Nancy Yost. (Oct. 12) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

Favorite Scotland Yard detectives Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James are saving damsels in distress in this latest by the author of Dreaming of Bones, a 1997 New York Times Book of the Year. Crombie lives in a small North Texas town. Six-city author tour. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

Deborah Crombie is a superb writer. She gives her characters believability, sensitivity, and the skills of a detective.
She keeps you engaged and, at the same time, keeps you guessing.
I recommend all her mysteries.

Anonymous

More than 1 year ago

The title for this installment of the series was very apropos. The story is dark and frightening.
There is a sense of fearful energy in the murders and in Emma and Duncan's personal situation.
A great addition.

Anonymous

More than 1 year ago

A good tale spun creatively.

Anonymous

More than 1 year ago

I have read and enjoyed all of Debbie Crombie's books. They are beautifully and intelligently written. This is one of the best of the series.

Guest

More than 1 year ago

This I could not put down. I read it in two nights. She is a great writer. None of her books have ever disappointed me.

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harstan

More than 1 year ago

A fire in the southwest reveals the body of a dead woman, but instead of letting the local police handle the case, Scotland Yard sends Detective Superintendent Duncan Kincaid to investigate because the warehouse that burned down belonged to MP Michael Harwood. The Victorian warehouse was being renovated by converting it into park flats, but rumors has it that was not succeeding so the fire department is looking for signs of arson. Two people entering the building before the blaze were caught on video; one was Harwood¿s missing daughter Chloe. Also absent is Laura Novak and her child Harriet; however, Harriet¿s father Tony had left her with someone named Beth, an obvious alias. Duncan concentrates on the fire because he thinks a serial arsonist caused the deadly blaze.--- Duncan¿s live-in lover Inspector Gemma James is also in town investigating the disappearance of the roommate of a friend of a friend. Gemma searches for Harriet before time runs out on the child. Neither realizes these two cases connect in a dramatic fashion.--- In addition to all the pressure in their private lives, Duncan and Gemma are also in a custody battle over his son with the lad¿s maternal grandmother who blames the cop for her daughter¿s death and believe the living in sin couple are unfit to raise her grandson. The two parallel police procedural plots are cleverly drawn so that the audience enjoys both, but wonders which of the lovers has chosen the correct path, if either has. Deborah Crombie provides a strong British who-done-it that fans of Val McDermid will appreciate.--- Harriet Klausner

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